Can You Replace Your Roof During Winter?

Replacing your roof means increasing the value of your home, preventing moisture damage, and ensuring your home is energy efficient. If you’re like most homeowners, you’ll only have to replace your roof just once in the span of living in your home.  Because roofs last such a long time, homeowners automatically assume that this project should be planned for and done during decent weather.  Well, they’re not entirely correct.

In the roofing business, there’s the peak season, which spans from late summer through the fall months, and there’s the offseason, which is the winter.

The Advantages of Replacing Your Roof in the Winter

The peak season has roofing companies busy and booked up, but the offseason does have some surprising advantages in store for a homeowner looking to get a roof installed when it’s colder outside.

Availability in the Winter

Not many homeowners think about having their roofs replaced during the winter.  Either they aren’t outside enough to consider the damage or need for it, or they figure that it simply can’t be done.  Lucky for you, all of the roofing companies will essentially be at the ready.  It’s the offseason for roofers, so their schedule is open.  Whenever you want your roof replaced, there’s a company willing to do it.

A Chance for Better Pricing

What other advantage do you need for a roof replacement than discounted pricing?  Roofs are an expensive investment, but during this offseason, prices for roof replacements are found to be much lower than during the peak summer months, when roofers are extremely busy.  Any money you can save off of a roof is always good news.

The Weather Outside is…Actually Not That Frightful

Although you’ll learn that winter weather can bring its own host of obstacles to a roof replacement, some roofers actually prefer to work in the winter.  Summer is peak season for roofers, but if there’s one major disadvantage of working during the peak season, it’s the intense heat.

Working all day on top of a black, sunbaked roof can cause heatstroke, dehydration, dizziness, and fatigue.  For roofers, it’s part of the job, but that doesn’t mean they have to like it!

Working in the winter is the preference for some roofing companies. Snow and ice can be hazardous, but so is the summer heat.  If snow is the only concern, roofers can typically clear it off a roof in about thirty minutes.

The Disadvantages of Winter Roof Replacement

There’s a reason why summer to late fall is considered peak season and winter is the offseason.  There’re a few disadvantages to consider for a winter roof replacement.

Roofing Materials & The Cold

There’re types of shingles that require installation during certain temperature conditions, meaning they cannot be installed when it’s freezing cold outside.  Some shingles may lose flexibility and resistance properties in colder temperatures, and when met with a hammer and a nail, could break.

Shingles also have a self-sealant strip that activates with the sun’s warmth to bond it to the roofing materials.  During the winter, colder temperatures can prevent this, and roofers may have to put off the project of replacement until the weather cooperates to allow for the installation to be fully completed.

The same situation applies to the roofers’ tools they use for the installation.  While some tools are unaffected by cold temperatures, others like compressors and nail guns are.  Compressing and releasing air turns humidity into water, and if there are freezing temperatures, the water could freeze inside the airlines.  This situation could interfere with installing the shingles, prolonging the process or in the worst case, making for a shoddy replacement.

Finicky Temperatures

Even though the schedules of roofing companies are much more flexible in the winter, that doesn’t mean that the weather will be kind enough to cooperate with their installation.  Stable temperatures, as mentioned before, are needed for the roofing materials to bond to the newly laid shingles.  And before that, roofers need certain, consistent temperatures to install the shingles without them being so brittle from the cold that they break.

Roofers’ Safety

Although roofers can replace roofs in the winter, it’s a cautious, time-consuming project because it heightens their chances of a slip and fall due to the weather conditions, limits their mobility due to piling on jackets to keep warm, and ice and snow can cause hazards while slowing down the workers’ process.

With winter comes snow and ice, and for your winter roof replacement, that means the workers must dedicate labor and time to removing it. Spending more time on an icy, snowy roof puts roofers at greater risk for worksite accidents.  Precipitation that’s formed on the slope of the roof causes it to become slippery, slowing down the overall process of the replacement.

Roof replacement is a physically demanding job, requiring roofers to carry pounds upon pounds of equipment and roofing materials up ladders. Wearing the appropriate clothing to keep them warm during the replacement can add another ten to fifteen pounds—easily.

Not to mention that when it’s bitingly cold outside, workers must be vigilant about keeping their fingers and feet warm, as the job won’t allow them to wear bulky boots or gloves.  This prevents workers from being able to bend fingers and toes when climbing on the roof and utilizing tools, and in colder temperatures, frostbite can be a concern.

Can You Replace Your Roof in During the Winter?

Yes, you can replace your roof during the winter.  It may turn out to be in your favor by saving money and scheduling the replacement whenever you want.  Keep in mind that the main disadvantage to consider is that if it’s too cold, you may need to reschedule—for the replacement to be done correctly and for the roofers’ safety.

Another important thing to consider is the reputation of the company. That’s why so many homeowners choose Feldco for their roof replacement because they offer great products, service, and installation. Feldco’s asphalt shingles are made for the Midwest.

This breakthrough design offers excellent fastening holding power that’s capable of withstanding against strong winds, rain, snow, and ice. On top of that, your home will get a boost in curb appeal. Feldco Roofing has an excellent service to accommodate homeowners with every step in the process.

Lastly, we have factory trained installers that have a strong reputation and experience working under severe winter conditions. Now’s the time to speak to a product specialist and get a free quote online today.